BRET BAIER: Inauguration Day Highlights America’s Everlasting Promise

On January 20, 2025, at noon, Donald J. Trump to be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. He will be only the second president to serve non-consecutive terms, Grover Cleveland being the first. Cleveland’s fate was the result of buyer’s remorse on the part of the public. First elected in 1884, he was defeated in 1888 by Benjamin Harrison, whose economic policies proved to be a disaster. Harrison was so weak that Cleveland saw an opportunity to retake the White House. He was re-elected in 1892.

On Monday, Trump will repeat the rare Cleveland act as he appears for the inauguration on one of the coldest days of the year in Washington, D.C. Trump announced that the ceremony would be moved inside the Capitol Rotundawith live viewing for up to 20,000 people at Capital One Arena. Although more than 200,000 people have tickets to the inauguration, most of them will be watching it on screens with the rest of the United States. Bad weather has forced ceremonies indoors only on a handful of occasions, most recently for Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration in 1985, when the temperature was seven degrees at noon.

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Inauguration Day is the performance of a ritual mandated by the Constitution, our way of fulfilling the promise of democracy every four years. Their traditions, largely devoid of politics, are beloved by the public no matter who lays their hand on the Bible. Every four years, this occasion is a celebration of recognizing what unites us. Most Americans put aside their differences and focus on our enduring democracy. Hard feelings may linger after the election, but the inaugural celebration transcends those divisions, if only for a day.

It begins in the late morning, when it is tradition for the incoming president and his wife to be welcomed to the White House for tea by the outgoing president and his wife. The Bidens will host the Trumps on January 20. Another example of the peaceful transition of power, this tea can be uncomfortable when winners and losers come together in those final moments. The Trumps skipped it entirely in 2021, but photos of various transitions show plenty of stiff smiles. Everyone studies photographs for clues about body language, but the bottom line is that it happens. Americans love to see leaders from different parties getting along, even superficially. Note the explosive response in the press and on social networks Trump and Obama smiling and chatting at Jimmy Carter’s funeral.

It is also traditional for the outgoing and incoming presidents to travel together to the Capitol. Trump and Obama traveled together on the first day of Trump’s inauguration in 2017. It is unknown if Biden and Trump will carpool this time.

The inauguration ceremony itself will follow tradition, featuring all four living presidents: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Some new faces for this occasion will take places of honor alongside Cabinet appointees and high-ranking guests: a collection of the country’s most powerful tech leaders, including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook and CEO from TikTok, Shou Zi. Chew.

Everyone is eagerly awaiting the inauguration speech, which will set the tone for the new administration. Over the centuries, signature lines have become memorable long after a president has come and gone. What makes a statement memorable is how well it reflects the enduring spirit of America. For example, Thomas Jefferson’s statement that “every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle.” Or Abraham Lincoln in 1865, when the Civil War was in its final and bloodiest period, offering this remarkable olive branch: “With malice towards none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right , Let us strive to finish the work we are in, to bind up the wounds of the nation, to care for him who will have endured the battle, for his widow and his orphan, to do all we can to achieve and cherish a just peace and lasting. among us and with all nations.”

Franklin Roosevelt stood before a nation torn apart by the Great Depression and sought to instill new resolve with these words: “So, first of all, let me state my firm conviction that The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.anonymous, irrational and unjustified terror that paralyzes the efforts necessary to turn retreat into advance.” John F. Kennedy uttered what was perhaps the most famous inaugural phrase of all: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what what you can do for yourself.” your country.”

In his first inaugural address, Reagan highlighted the guiding principle of American greatness in the world: “Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, and no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.”

Reports on Trump’s transition indicate that Trump will set an optimistic tone for his second inauguration, and if he does so, he will receive a positive public response. On this holy day, Americans like their leaders to talk about what it’s like good with America.

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Following the ceremony there will be a parade, which has also been moved to the Capital One Arena. The inaugural parade, which has been a custom since the nation’s earliest days, is an opportunity to combine celebration with a showcase of the best of American life, with marching bands, floats and displays representing the states. American sacrifice and bravery will be displayed with military units, police and fire departments.

This year’s parade will also feature first responders from Butler County, Pennsylvania, the site of an assassination attempt on Donald Trump in July. Tribute paid to fallen Buffalo Township fire chief Corey Comperatorewho was shot dead that day.

Finally, it is customary for the outgoing president to slip a personal note to his successor into a desk drawer in the Oval Office. The tradition began with Ronald Reagan, who left a personal note for George HW Bush. Bush later did the same to Bill Clinton, writing: “His success now is our country’s success. I strongly support him.”

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When President Trump entered the White House for his first term, he found a note written by barack obama: “Millions have pinned their hopes on you, and all of us, regardless of party, should look forward to greater prosperity and security during your tenure.”

Trump left a note for Joe Biden in 2021, which Biden said was “a very generous letter.” Now Joe Biden will leave a note for Trump. And the great cycle of American life continues.

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